by Sarah | Sep 19, 2012 | 45 before 45, All About Family, All About Me, Changing Tracks, Writing, writing tips
[flickr id=”7809492264″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]We all have dreams.
Some dreams are big – bigger than what our logical minds tell us we can accomplish.
Some dreams are more practical – but still mean something to us.
Growing up I had many dreams. I wanted to be a dance teacher. I wanted to perform on stage in musicals. I wanted to be a vet. I wanted to be a mom.
I was blessed to accomplish some dreams early. At 10 my dance studio let me become an ‘assistant’. Me and my co-advanced-class dancers would help the teachers with the young ones. By 11 we were teaching the classes ourselves for the most part. By 13 we were allowed to choreograph.
When I was in my 20’s I was able to take some courses and training and became a vet assistant. For about six months I worked in a vets office and still think of that time with fond memories.
I became a mom at 21, and again at 29 & 30.
Right after I got married I performed in a series of musicals over the course of the year. On stage. Singing and dancing under the lights.
Then I got wrapped up in real life. I had a husband, kids, bills, work and a home. Dreams went by the wayside as our girls were born and their development took up every spare second of breath and thought in my head. In the moments of quiet when everyone went to bed and I could unleash the stresses, I chose to do them with words.
Writing.
It had never been a dream, but as worlds formed under my fingertips, stories unfolded on the page, and characters breathed life into my soul a new dream formed.
Wrapped up in the realities of life I’d forgotten about me. About how important even the smallest dreams could be.
They give you life, hope, something to look forward to and achieve.
Dreams are life.
Since then I have created a 45X45 list and begun to tackle things on it. Some are small, others seem impossible.
Still, every time I cross something off of that list I feel a sense of elation, I smile for days. I have accomplished something.
It’s not just good for me. It’s not selfish.
My children need to see it. See me achieving goals and dreams. The little ones, and the big ones.
Within 6 months I’ll have proof of one of my biggest dreams on my Nook (and Kindle). Within a year I’ll have physical proof sitting on my bookshelf. Published.
It wasn’t a dream I had growing up. It’s new. Formed just 7 years ago. When I thought it was unattainable, outlandish and crazy.
I’ll never stop having dreams. Achieving this one I’ve formed new ones.
New ones will follow behind.
Never let go of dreams. Always have two – one practical & achievable, and another completely outlandish.
Never give up hope.
Let your children see the hope, and the accomplishment. It’s a prize that lasts for a very long time – and it helps them set their sights on the biggest dreams.
by Sarah | Sep 1, 2012 | Books, Changing Tracks, Children of Gaia, Hex Ranch, Writing
[flickr id=”6367108607″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]It starts with a spark.
One small idea.
It can happen anywhere.
In the car.
While surfing the web.
In the shower.
No matter how it happens, it happens.
Sometimes after that the facts dribble in slowly.
Others it’s a mad rush.
Everything falls into place. Ideas gel. Facts line up.
And then…
The glorious moment you have a story.
Characters introduce themselves. Plots weave their tangled web.
That’s where I am. On the cusp of turning in Changing Tracks to my editor and starting revisions on book 2 (Derailed) a new story has come into mind. It breaks down genre barriers, mixing at least 4 together into one novel.
My fingers itch to pull the trigger and start. The world is almost built. My hero and heroine are being friendly and chatty and letting me know their personalities.
It’s a good feeling, that Mad Rush.
by Sarah | Aug 25, 2012 | Books, Changing Tracks, Children of Gaia, Writing
[flickr id=”5585130717″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”]In the middle of edits, both for Changing Tracks, which I need to turn in for final edits; and for Masked Hearts, which I need to prepare for submission. I’m also critiquing words for Mary and Fi in my spare time, and even occasionally Jenn (who is crazy-busy with all of her new releases).
This all leads to a ton of editing.
I’m cross-eyed and confused half the time.
I needed an escape and it came in the form of a submission call at a small pub (Das Krakenhaus) for an anthology they’re doing. The small pub is run by an old high school friend of mine, and they are awesome, so I thought I’d take a look. After seeing what they were looking for, I thought the apocalyptic would be perfect as a prequel to another series I’d been thinking about.
Over the next couple of days the idea solidified and I started writing it last night.
I’m uncomfortable and feeling stretched beyond my limits.
1 – it’s SHORT. I’ve written a flash piece (500 words) that got pubbed in Siren’s Call. But I’ve never written anything with significance that would be bigger than that, but shorter than 12k. I’m so verbose this is a challenge.
2 – it’s not romance. While not my soul focus (that flash piece was horror, after all) – romance is mostly what I’ve done, what I do. The closest I’ve come to stepping out of that comfort zone was to write a paranormal rom over a historical western rom. This? It’s a contemporary, destruction of the world type of piece. No romance.
3 – it’s in 1st person POV. Not sure why, just know that it is. To the point that we never know the name of the person who we’re living the story through.
4 – it’s a male POV. While I’ve done male POV before, it always freaks me out.
All of this is good. It’s stretching my limits, stretching my capabilities. That is always good.
It’s giving me a break from the mind-numbing endless edits. That is a huge relief and breath of fresh air.
But it’s slow going. I only have under 12k to learn this guys voice to figure him out and let all of the action happen that should happen. I have very clear and gorgeous pictures in my head about what will happen and those must get on the page in a male’s POV.
So I’m learning as I go, but it’s an uncomfortable stretch. One that will improve as I work – I hope.
by Sarah | Aug 16, 2012 | Books, Changing Tracks, Critters, Writing, writing tips
While I’m blissed out at having an empty house during the days now (post on that soon)…it’s also leaving me to face everything I need to do all at once. That often leads to me getting overwhelmed when face with sheer numbers of responsibilities.
Key among all my ‘to-do’s these days, layered in with cleaning and sewing and shopping and blogging and fixing my social media outlets and more cleaning, is editing.
Editing Changing Tracks to make it shiney before it goes to my editor who will help make it bright as the sun.
Editing and Critiquing my crit-groups work.
Writing my short(er) novel.
Reading/using/doing-more-editing-based-on notes from those critting my stuff.
Did I mention I’m overwhelmed?
And a little buried under?
Thankfully I’ve found EditMinion that helps me do side by side with my chapters. It’s in beta version, but if he adds some more areas to the editor it’ll be just about perfect. The other online-editor I’d been using you had to click for each area and it didn’t let you do side by side, just pulled out the relevant sentences. With the minion I can get on my hubby’s computer and split screen minion vs. manuscript and just hit everything that needs hit.
Talk about a time saver. I have a wonderful critter helping me out with line edits – but this gives me one more layer to tackle before I send my baby off.
Now if I could just find those extra 10 hours in the day to get everything else I need to do.
Do you know where those hours can be found?
by Sarah | Aug 7, 2012 | 45 before 45, All About Me, Books, Changing Tracks, Publishing Credits, Writing
My contract has been signed, my cover art questionnaire has been filled out, my blurb has been hacked down to size and all my ducks are in a row. I’ve been bursting with this news for well over a week now and I’m so glad to be able to finally share it!
Seven years ago I set out to get published – back before ebooks were in and before I knew what an adverb whore was or how to stop myself from being one.
Three years ago I abandoned my first novel and started on this one, on this series. Changing Tracks and its main characters, Jane & Cole have come to mean so much to me. All I have wanted for them is to give them the story they deserve and to see it published in print.
I have just signed with Secret Cravings Publishing to make that dream a reality. Even better they are using the cover art I made for the book three years ago.
In February 2013* Changing Tracks will be published in ebook format. Six months later, in August of 2013* it will go to print.
Now I’m setting out on the crazy ride of getting the book into print and I’m bringing you all along with me. For now, I’ll leave you with the (long version) of my back cover blurb.
*~*
There is nothing simple about forgetting your past.
Cole Mitchell runs the busiest saloon and brothel in Dominion Falls. He makes time with his women, makes a killing gambling, and exerts his power how he pleases. One thing he never does is let anyone in.
Until the day she falls into his saloon bleeding and near death. He saves her from the pine box, and finds he can’t walk away. The problem is, if he lets her get close he could relive his past – and he worked too hard to forget it.
She wakes with no memory, only the firm belief that someone wanted her dead. With no name she keeps ‘Jane Doe’ and tries to carve out a life. She finds herself drawn to Cole, and they start a fiery relationship that sets the whole town talking. Their pasts – her lack of, and his buried – keep them from admitting the depth of their feelings, but they find they only trust each other.
Through the chaos of renegade Indian raids, an abandoned husband and her recurring nightmares they fight to find the truth of what happened to her. She soon learns that sometimes the truth is the last thing you want to learn, and she starts to think it may be best to leave the past where it is.
That past isn’t that willing to let go. A stranger proves that he’s willing to kill to keep his secrets safe. If Jane doesn’t remember soon, everyone she loves will be in danger.
*~*
*Publishing dates are estimates and subject to change. Once I receive more exact dates I’ll share that news.
by Sarah | Aug 3, 2012 | Books, Changing Tracks, Critters, Masked Hearts, Writing, writing tips
Line edits are awesome…
When it’s someone else’s work.
If the paper, book, webpage, word doc, whatever it is that’s in front of me was not written by my own hand I can swoop in and find the errors in an instant.
No problem.
When it’s my piece?
The one that I’ve worked on for X amount of years?
What errors? I don’t see them?
No, there’s a comma there don’t you see it? Oh wait, it’s all in my head isn’t it? Damn.
I miss far too much.
I’ve tried the tricks.
I’ve changed font.
I’ve printed it out on paper.
I’ve put it on my nook.
I still miss those suckers because my brain inputs them where my fingers did not.
But – it’s time for me to line edit.
Thank goodness I’m writing another piece in between. One chapter at a time with the line edits because I get cross-eyed and confused way too easily.
You want to do my line edits? I’ll trade you evenly – I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.
